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Politics

Brijesh Kalappa quits Congress in Karnataka

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AICC Spokesperson and senior Congress leader from Karnataka Brijesh Kalappa on Wednesday resigned from the party membership.

“Even at the worst of times for the party in the aftermath of 2014 and 2019 debacles, I have never felt enervated and lacking in energy and enthusiasm. But, in the recent past I have been finding myself lacking in passion, while my own performance has been listless and perfunctory,” he stated.

He further said: “It is under these circumstances that I am left with little option but to resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and to end an association that began in 1997.”

“At the outset I wish to offer my heartfelt thanks to you (Sonia Gandhi) for the several opportunities you provided to me. If I am recognized as a familiar face in all parts of this extraordinarily large nation- it is indeed thanks to your patronage,” he said.

“It is again thanks to your blessings that I was appointed as Legal Advisor to Government of Karnataka with rank of Minister.”

“I have been representing the Party on Hindi, English and Kannada channels since the UPA years in 2013- for almost a decade and have clocked 6497 debates. Besides, the Party has been regularly assigning Political work to me which I have performed to the best of my satisfaction,” he explained.

“Regarding tv debates, I have done my very best at all times and have never ever appeared without adequate preparation for any debate,” he said.

Maharashtra

Man Falls into Open Manhole in Sakinaka; Body Located During Search Operation

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Mumbai, July 2: A man reportedly fell into an open manhole at Khairani Road near Sanman Hotel, close to S.J. Studio in the Sakinaka area of Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, prompting an emergency search operation by civic and rescue authorities.

According to information received from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Fire Brigade Control Room, the incident was reported at approximately 12:26 p.m. Initial information from officials at the scene indicated that three private contractual maintenance workers had removed a manhole cover to carry out maintenance work.

During the operation, a man who was reportedly talking on his mobile phone accidentally stepped into the uncovered manhole and fell inside. The workers immediately lowered a ladder into the manhole in an attempt to rescue him. However, they were able to recover only his umbrella and slippers.

Officials said the strong flow of water inside the drainage system made it difficult to determine the direction in which the man had been swept away. Fire Brigade personnel, along with other emergency responders, launched a search operation.

In an update received at around 2:15 p.m., authorities confirmed that the body of the victim had been located. Fire Brigade personnel were making efforts to retrieve the body from the drainage system.

The identity of the deceased had not been officially disclosed at the time of publication.

Police and civic authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further details are awaited.

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Crime

Ketan Agarwal murder case: Old video shows accused Siya Goyal abusing on phone at pub

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Pune, July 2: An old video purportedly showing Siya Goyal, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her fiancée Ketan Agarwal, abusing on the phone at a pub, has surfaced online, adding a fresh dimension to the high-profile case that has drawn nationwide attention.

The video, believed to have been recorded in December 2025, allegedly captures Siya inside a pub while holding what appears to be a beer bottle and talking on the phone.

During the conversation, she is heard using abusive language and saying, “First he cheats on me, then he calls me.”

The clip has since gone viral across social media platforms, prompting renewed public interest in the investigation.

Apart from this video, several older photographs and clips featuring Siya and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary have also resurfaced online.

One such video reportedly shows the two attending a cricket league match together months before the alleged crime. Investigators, however, have not officially linked these videos to the murder case.

The case pertains to the death of 26-year-old Pune-based real estate businessman Ketan Agarwal, who allegedly died after being pushed from a cliff at Lohagad Fort in Pune district on June 18. Ketan and Siya were engaged and were reportedly planning to get married in November this year.

According to the Pune Rural Police, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are accused of conspiring to murder Ketan. Both were arrested following the incident and remain in police custody until July 3 as investigators continue to gather evidence and verify multiple aspects of the case.

Meanwhile, investigators have also focussed on Ketan’s mobile phone during the course of the probe. Police have confirmed that the victim’s phone remained in Siya’s possession for some time after his death before it was eventually handed over to Ketan’s family.

However, officials have not disclosed whether any data on the device was accessed, altered or deleted during that period. Authorities have also not confirmed whether either of the accused attempted to tamper with the phone or its contents.

As part of the ongoing investigation, Pune Rural Police on Wednesday recreated the alleged crime scene at Lohagad Fort. During the exercise, officials used a fibre dummy matching Ketan’s approximate height and weight and dropped it into a gorge estimated to be over 300 feet deep to understand the sequence of events surrounding the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala Division) Gajanan Tompe said the reconstruction was carried out in accordance with the details gathered during the investigation.

“Today, we took the accused to Lohagad and conducted a reconstruction of the crime scene. The exercise was performed based on the facts available in the investigation. The probe is still underway, and all relevant findings will be placed before the court. We are also recording statements of everyone connected with the case and will continue to do so,” he said.

Earlier this week, police also carried out a gait analysis of co-accused Chetan Chaudhary to assist the investigation.

On Monday, the Vadgaon Maval court extended the police custody of Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary by five days after investigators sought additional time to examine evidence, question witnesses and complete pending forensic procedures in the alleged murder case.

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Crime

Fake marriage racket busted in Delhi; three arrested for cheating groom of Rs 6 lakh

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New Delhi, July 2: Delhi Police’s West District on Thursday busted a fake marriage racket that allegedly targeted unmarried men by arranging fraudulent marriages and cheating them of large sums of money. Three accused have been arrested for allegedly duping a Rajasthan resident of Rs 6 lakh on the pretext of marriage, while efforts are underway to nab the remaining members of the gang.

According to the police, the case came to light after a missing report regarding a woman identified as Lovely alias Lalita was lodged at Police Station Khyala on June 18.

A dedicated team comprising SI Dharam Singh, HC Shree Krishna and W/HC Chameli was constituted under the leadership of SI Kishor, In-charge of Police Post Raghubir Nagar, under the direction of SHO Vinod Kumar and the supervision of ACP Tilak Nagar Dr. Garima Tiwari.

During the investigation, police relied on technical surveillance and local Intelligence, which revealed that the missing woman was staying in Rajasthan’s Pali district. Acting swiftly, the team reached Takhatgarh Police Station in Pali district, where the woman was traced.

During questioning, Lovely allegedly disclosed that she had been married to Kamal Lohra for the past 18 years and that the couple had four children. She further revealed that she, along with her husband and associates Deepu alias Rakesh Ekka, Ankit Verma, Deepika and Gopal, had been running a fake marriage racket targeting unmarried men.

Police said the accused allegedly presented Lovely as an unmarried woman and arranged her marriage with Shravan Vaishnav, a resident of Jalore, Rajasthan, on June 1. The gang allegedly collected Rs 6 lakh from the victim and distributed the money among themselves. Investigators said the group had planned to flee with cash and other valuables from the matrimonial home after the marriage.

Based on the victim’s complaint and evidence collected during the investigation, FIR No. 326/2026 was registered at Police Station Khyala on June 29 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police subsequently arrested three accused — Lovely alias Lalita, her husband Kamal Lohra and Deepu alias Rakesh Ekka. The remaining accused have been identified, and raids are being conducted to apprehend them.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that they repeatedly targeted unmarried men by posing married women as eligible brides, collecting money in the name of marriage and later planning to escape with cash and valuables.

The arrested accused include Lovely alias Lalita and Kamal Lohra, both residents of Gumla, Jharkhand, and Deepu alias Rakesh Ekka, a resident of Raghubir Nagar in Delhi.

Police said further investigation is underway to trace the remaining accused and ascertain whether the gang was involved in similar frauds in other states.

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